Helping couples with:

managing the crisis of infidelity,

deepening intimacy, and

bettering conflict resolution and communication skills

About me...

I work specifically with couples who:

-are recovering from infidelity,

-are dealing with difficulties in communication,

-find it difficult to talk without arguing

-have problems intimately connecting.

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My process couples therapy is systemic, transformational and experiential. My hope is that you will gain a greater understanding of yourself and your partner, which will create transformation in your relationship. I create the session experience so that you will consistently experience each other in a positive, growth-oriented way. You will be encouraged to implement healthy strategies, challenged to stop problematic behaviors and taught skills to be a stronger, better couple.

Help for infidelity

Couples are traumatized when infidelity is discovered or disclosed and the clinician needs to help the couple implement immediate steps to prevent further damage to the relationship. Creating this stability is the first and necessary step to treatment. Once stability is restored, the deeper work of therapy can begin.

Couple's counseling strategies for infidelity are much different than what a traditional counselor would utilize. When couples set up an appointment with me, they will get in quickly, experience a specific treatment approach for infidelity, assessment of the traumatic symptoms (intrusive thoughts, chronic questioning, investigating) and immediate interventions to implement.

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Once the crisis is stabilized, infidelity treatment will focus on treating the complex underlying conditions, for example lack of intimacy and intimate communication, problematic boundaries with others outside the relationship, trust, conflict skills, hyper-criticism, and relationship skills.

I am a systemic couples counselor, which means that I view the relationship as my client. Systemic therapists recognize that couple's problems are the result of mutually created dynamics and change is best brought about by doing the work within "the system" of the relationship.

Couples sessions are one hour and fifteen minutes long, which is different that the typical 55 minute session. I believe that I just need the extra time to get the work done in session.

My Personal Training Experience

Beyond education and licensure which all therapist have, I believe that the "person of the therapist" is critically important to the outcomes achieved by the couple in therapy. This is also an important aspect to how I train other therapists. As you can see below, I take my personal training seriously, developing my "personhood of the therapist". This training is different than many other other couples therapists who just attend workshops for training. When therapists say they have extensive experience, it is often a vague concept. Below, I outline my significant experience in transformational, experiential, systemic therapy.

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Books Written and Educational Background

Author of the book "Managing the Aftermath of Infidelity: A Sequential Guide for Couples and Therapists (Due for publication 2020)

Completed a weekend experiential workshop on Deconstructing Shame: A Gestalt Approach. Cleveland, Ohio (Oct, 2019). Deconstructing our shame response is paramount to creating intimacy, particularly for couples in troubled relationships and those experiencing infidelity. When we lack awareness of our shame, we become less available in our ability to be in relational contact with our partner.

Completed a 6-day intensive training program in the Satir Growth Model of Transformational Systemic Therapy at the University of North Carolina. Chapel Hill, North Carolina (July 2019). This retreat focused on gaining clarity about our own thought processes and feelings, which are crucial elements in improving our communication skills and increasing intimacy with others. It is also important for therapists to know self to engage couples in healthy ways.

Treating Couples Conference, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts (Nov, 2018). The focus this year was on using brain science to work with couples, treating traumatized couples and working with couples "that hate each other and the therapist".

Completed a 7-day intensive, residential training program for Satir International Trainers at the Satir Institute of the Pacific, Vancouver, Canada (2018). The retreat focused on effective leadership in training other therapists to use the Satir model.

Completed a 7-day intensive, residential training program in Use of Self in Family Therapy at the Satir Institute of the Pacific, Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, Canada (2017). Beautiful country, beautiful people, beautiful personal experience of self.

Completed an 10-day intensive, residential training program in Transformational Systemic Therapy at the Satir Institute of the Pacific, in Langley, British Columbia, Canada (2017). Fantastic personal and professional experience.

Completed a year-long, post-graduate clinical training in Milan Systemic Marriage and Family Therapy in Cincinnati Ohio (2006).​ One of the most impactful aspects of my training.

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Other Professional Experience:

Counseling Professor at Xavier University (2010 to present).

CEO and owner of Waybridge Counseling (2004-present).

Chair of the Professional Standards Committee for the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapists Board (2018-present).

Appointed by Governor Mike DeWine to the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board as a board member and committee member of the Professional Standards Committee for counselors (2020-Present).

Appointed by Governor John Kasich to the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board as a board member and committee member of the Professional Standards Committee for counselors (2017-2020).

Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association for 4 years, President for 1 year and an executive board member for 13 years (2002-2015).